The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a half-hour variety show in which Kermit the Frog and the Muppets put on a weekly musical/comedy revue at the Muppet Theater. Unfortunately for them, things never quite go according to plan, for the Muppets or their weekly guest stars. And when The Muppet Show will be revived The Muppet Show will be recorded in New York City in the same studio as Sesame Street. While Kermit had been featured extensively in other programs in the past, this show marked the introduction of a large, varied cast, including the hapless comedian Fozzie Bear, the diva superstar Miss Piggy, the lunatic daredevil artiste Gonzo, the wild drummer Animal, the unintelligible Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker of Muppet Labs, and many others. Their performances consistently fail to entertain the old curmudgeons Statler and Waldorf, who provide a running commentary of wise-cracks. The action in each episode was balanced between the on-stage acts and the frantic activity backstage (one of the very few exceptions is episode 110, in which almost all sketches and skits are depicted on stage). The concept was reminiscent of old-time radio shows like The Jack Benny Program, where the star struggled to put on a weekly show amidst personal problems and an often uncooperative cast. Characters : See Muppet Show characters Kermit the Frog serves as the host of The Muppet Show, and was also the director and general overseer of the performances, assisted by Scooter, the gofer who only got his job because his uncle, J. P. Grosse, owned the theater. The show's orchestra was conducted by Nigel, and musical acts ranged from solo musicians such as Rowlf the Dog to the show's main rock and roll band, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Because it was a puppet show, The Muppet Show had the advantage of being able to include an endless array of characters with only a small number of performers. Aside from the aforementioned characters, recurring figures included self-appointed censor Sam the Eagle, who tried to make the show more cultural; Camilla the Chicken, Gonzo's girlfriend; Robin the Frog, Kermit's nephew; and Link Hogthrob, the captain of the Swinetrek in the "Pigs in Space" skits, among others. Certain characters from the early years of the show, like Hilda and George the Janitor, fell by the wayside, while newer characters were introduced, such as Beauregard the stagehand and the boomerang fish-throwing Lew Zealand. One of the few minor characters who became a major player after the series ended was Rizzo the Rat. In addition, the generic Whatnots and a wide array of animals, vegetables, and minerals filled out the chorus. Most of the Muppets appeared in both backstage scenes and onstage sketches and songs. For example, while Beaker was primarily Bunsen's assistant, he also frequently helped Beauregard with his backstage duties. Although Janice was The Electric Mayhem's guitar player, she also appeared as a nurse in Veterinarian's Hospital. Many characters with backstage jobs also appeared on-stage quite frequently, in group numbers and "At the Dance" sketches. However, some characters were pigeonholed into their own sketches, such as The Newsman of Muppet News Flash and Louis Kazagger of Muppet Sports. The Muppet Show featured a mix of established Muppets and new characters. Some major characters from previous productions (Kermit, Rowlf) remained prominent while others (Nigel, Thog) were relegated to background or supporting status. Some minor characters from previous productions (Gonzo, Miss Piggy) became stars. Sketches and Set Pieces Some of the more popular comedic bits from the show include: * At the Dance - A group of Muppets (some regulars, some not) dance to ballroom music while cracking puns and one-liners. * Muppet Labs - Dr. Bunsen Honeydew pushed the cutting edge of science with his bizarre inventions, which somehow inevitably caused horrible things to happen to his assistant, Beaker. * Muppet News Flash - The Newsman would report breaking news happening in the Muppet Theater or elsewhere in the Muppet universe. Unfortunately for him, he would often find the story invading right into the Muppet newsroom, usually to his own personal pain. (For example, a report on the stock market indicating that "beef fell dramatically" causes a cow to fall from out of nowhere onto the Newsman's head.) * Pigs in Space - An ostensible space opera along the lines of Star Trek, the skits followed a hapless porcine crew attempting to successfully interact with alien life, or sometimes just keep the ship running. They would usually fail at both. * Veterinarian's Hospital - Dr. Bob (actually Rowlf) operated on a variety of strange patients while cracking corny jokes with Nurse Piggy and Nurse Janice. * Swedish Chef - a cooking show parody where the unnamed chef, who spoke a form of gibberish with the occasional understandable word thrown in, attempts to make a meal, usually with disastrous and messy results Guest Stars In keeping with the TV variety show format, each episode showcased a celebrity guest star or duo, who were the only humans to appear on the show. As noted in Jim Henson: The Works, "From Jim's point of view, this would help provide a bridge between the Muppet world and the audience. From ITC's point of view, it would make the show easier to promote."1 In the first season, Kermit introduced them at the start of the theme song and in a lyric after a joke by Fozzie. From the second season onward, the guest was invariably introduced in the cold open. During the first season, their involvement was limited primarily to the on-stage performances, showcases for the guest's comedic or musical skills. They also regularly participated in comedic blackouts, talk spots, and panel discussions. As early as the first season, the fighting Rita Moreno and the eerie Vincent Price gave a special tone to the episode they appeared in. As the series wore on, the guests became more and more crucial, becoming involved in the backstage plots (Gonzo falling in love with Madeline Kahn, James Coco helping Kermit to improve the numbers), expressing dissatisfaction with the show (John Cleese, Jaye P. Morgan), or as featured performers in elaborate "theme" stories. One of the more extreme examples came in the final season, with episode 507, as guest star Glenda Jackson reveals herself to be a ruthless pirate and commandeers the theater. The guest roster included a range of performers, from familiar film and television personalities and stage theater veterans to ballet dancers, country singers, rock stars, experimental pantomime artists, and even a ventriloquist or two. The majority of the guest stars during the first season were either personal friends of the production team (for example, first season head writer Jack Burns' former comedy partner Avery Schreiber was a guest), or a client of Jim Henson's agent, Bernie Brillstein. By the second season, thanks in part to Rudolf Nureyev's famous guest appearance, the show started to attract more celebrities, and eventually, celebrities were asking to appear on the show. Whenever a star was booked to appear on the show, they would be asked if there were any characters who they wanted to work with. Most of them wanted to work with either Kermit or Miss Piggy.2 However, the producers generally preferred if the guest stars would have been more open to lesser known characters to allow for fresher material for writers. In that regard, some stars who proved that flexible included Glenda Jackson who insisted that she would be up for any idea presented, while John Cleese of Monty Python fame co-wrote his own material for the producers to use. Some of the more memorable guest star moments include the following: Rita Moreno's performance of "Fever", backed by Animal on drums; Rudolf Nureyev dancing with a pig ballerina; Harry Belafonte singing "Turn the World Around", accompanied by African Masks; Alice Cooper singing "School's Out" with the monsters near a haunted castle; John Cleese being forced into a closing number; Gene Kelly giving Kermit a dance lesson; and Raquel Welch performing a song-and-dance number with a giant spider. In addition to showcasing the guests' familiar skills or "shticks," stars occasionally performed against type, such as Nureyev tap dancing to "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" or screen tough guy James Coburn focusing on zen meditation and calmness. Some episodes played on the guest's established "star texts" as specific characters, such as Christopher Reeve's Superman and Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman. Roger Moore's appearance played ironically off of his James Bond persona, as Moore preferred to do the whimsical "Talk to the Animals" over any spy heroics. Occasionally, the guest's alter-egos even appeared directly, such as Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, Gilda Radner as Emily Litella, or Carol Burnett's janitor character. The most elaborate example, however, came in episode 417, as the stars of Star Wars appeared as themselves, continuing their space opera dramatics, while Luke Skywalker's portrayer Mark Hamill also appeared briefly as himself, introduced as Luke's "cousin." Guest star Rita Moreno won an Emmy Award for her appearance on the show, while Bernadette Peters and Peter Sellers were also nominated for their work. Category:Jim Henson Category:Television series by Disney Category:Television series by Jim Henson Productions Category:TV shows Category:TV shows Mickey Mouse appears in